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Question: Is it worthwhile adding a cooling coil to a portable ice barrel kegerator?
Background:
I have a portable kegerator for camping, but the beer is never as cold as I want it to be. We use the kegerator for camping over 2 weeks in hot weather (90+ degrees F), and go through 2 or 3 kegs during that time. We keep the keg covered in ice. The beer is cold but not "ice" cold.
My portable kegerator is built around a plastic barrel, in which the keg and ice are kept.
The barrel provides about 2-3 inches of space all the way around the keg for ice.
There is at least 3 inches of R-10 rigid foam insulation all the way around the barrel, including top and bottom.
All of this sits in a wood cabinet that is lined with heavy aluminum foil.
The cabinet sit on 2x4s to keep it off the ground.
A hinged top provides access to the keg, and the lid seals tightly with spring-locked hinges.
The system is run on a CO2 cylinder that I typically run at 5 to 10 psi.
On top of the cabinet is a tower faucet that I sprayed full of insulation around the beer line.
Currently the 3/16" beer line that runs from the tap to the faucet is less than 2 feet, and it is enclosed within the cooled barrel space. The only section of beer line that is outside of the cooled barrel space is the 12 inches in the tower.
I'm thinking of adding a vinyl or stainless coil around the keg at the bottom of the barrel to cool the beer even more. I haven't done the math yet, but I'm thinking of 50 feet of 1/2 ID hose for the coil. I'm afraid that if I use a smaller diameter coil the beer might freeze in the line.
Is this a practical idea, to add a coil?
IMG_3115.JPG
Question: Is it worthwhile adding a cooling coil to a portable ice barrel kegerator?
Background:
I have a portable kegerator for camping, but the beer is never as cold as I want it to be. We use the kegerator for camping over 2 weeks in hot weather (90+ degrees F), and go through 2 or 3 kegs during that time. We keep the keg covered in ice. The beer is cold but not "ice" cold.
My portable kegerator is built around a plastic barrel, in which the keg and ice are kept.
The barrel provides about 2-3 inches of space all the way around the keg for ice.
There is at least 3 inches of R-10 rigid foam insulation all the way around the barrel, including top and bottom.
All of this sits in a wood cabinet that is lined with heavy aluminum foil.
The cabinet sit on 2x4s to keep it off the ground.
A hinged top provides access to the keg, and the lid seals tightly with spring-locked hinges.
The system is run on a CO2 cylinder that I typically run at 5 to 10 psi.
On top of the cabinet is a tower faucet that I sprayed full of insulation around the beer line.
Currently the 3/16" beer line that runs from the tap to the faucet is less than 2 feet, and it is enclosed within the cooled barrel space. The only section of beer line that is outside of the cooled barrel space is the 12 inches in the tower.
I'm thinking of adding a vinyl or stainless coil around the keg at the bottom of the barrel to cool the beer even more. I haven't done the math yet, but I'm thinking of 50 feet of 1/2 ID hose for the coil. I'm afraid that if I use a smaller diameter coil the beer might freeze in the line.
Is this a practical idea, to add a coil?
IMG_3115.JPG